A Small Bump
by ExplicitMoxViolence
Summary: Jon and Renee experience the highs and lows of parenting a four year old while preparing for the birth of their second baby. One-shot. Contains a little bit of smut.


**Disclaimer:** **Anything you recognise, including characters, belong to their respective owners.** **This is a work of fiction and does not represent reality, please treat it as such.**

 **A Small Bump**

 **-x-**

 _You're just a small bump unborn_

 _In four months you're brought to life_

 _You might be left with my hair_

 _But you'll have your mother's eyes_

Jon and Renee had decided to make today a pool day, taking their little girl to a nearby water park to enjoy the sunshine. Jon took full advantage of the week off before the pay per view he was working and was excited to find out that Renee was bringing Ella along to watch him wrestle.

He was standing at the bar, ordering them some drinks while watching his wife and daughter playing in the shallow water. Ella had the sweetest red and white polka dot swimsuit on and she was without her inflatable armbands today, now a fairly confident swimmer. He liked to call her his little fish, she just loved being in the water. Renee had her short blonde hair tied up on top of her head, a plain black bikini looking elegant against her sun bronzed skin. She was glowing.

"Girls" he called, carrying the drinks over to a table shaded by a parasol. Renee lifted Ella out of the water first, telling her not to run in case she slipped.

"Daddy!" she called, holding out her arms to him. He picked her up, watching Renee manoeuvre herself out of the pool. She was nearly five months pregnant now and at that stage he loved, where she was showing, a small bump visible where her usually flat stomach was.

"How did the baby get inside mommy?"

Jon's eyes widened at that, staring blankly at his daughter as she looked to him expectantly. He really wasn't expecting that question from Ella. He should have, he knew she'd ask eventually but he thought it would be when she was older. Unfortunately he was mistaken; she was older than her years already.

Clearing his throat, he sat down with her in his lap.

"That's where the baby grows" he tried dodging the question. "Why do you ask?"

"But how did it get inside mommy's tummy? Did she eat it?"

Jon barked out a laugh at that.

"What's so funny?" Renee finally joined them, wrapping a towel around herself.

"Nothing" he chuckled, hoping Ella would let it go now.

"Mommy...did you eat the baby?"

"Excuse me?" she laughed, a bit of juice coming out of her nose.

"I asked daddy how the baby got inside your tummy but he won't say..."

Renee levelled him with a look.

"No sweetie, I didn't eat it" she laughed, handing Ella a juice box. "Babies are made when a mommy and daddy really love each other" she explained smoothly.

Jon was in awe at the ease Renee with which tackled the subject. He didn't get embarrassed or flustered by much but talking about this with his baby girl was too much for him.

"But how?" Ella asked, confused.

"You know how at school you planted those seeds and watered them until they grew?"

Ella nodded.

"It's kinda like that" Renee smiled. "Mommy's have the seeds and then daddy waters them and then the baby grows"

Jon bit the inside of his cheek hard to stop himself from laughing. He was planning on giving Ella the 'stork' story but this was much better.

"Oh" Ella seemed to accept that. Renee passed Jon another towel and he took the hint, wrapping it around the little girl and rubbing her hair with it. "Is that how you made me?"

Jon closed his eyes, willing her to stop asking awkward questions. Renee, however, was taking it in her stride.

"Yes baby" she replied, helping Ella open the straw for her drink.

"But..." Ella started again.

"That's enough questions angel" Jon tried.

"She's just curious" Renee laughed. "Let her ask"

"Are the seeds in your tummy?"

"There abouts" Renee replied.

"Do I have seeds in my tummy?"

Renee shook her head. "Not until you're older"

"Much older" Jon added protectively.

"If they're in your tummy, how can daddy water them?"

Jon audibly groaned. This was too much. He knew she'd go too far with this; she was too smart for her own good.

Renee was finally stumped, eventually giving in to telling a little white lie.

"It's magic" she replied.

"Daddy can do magic?"

"He certainly can" Renee smirked at her husband. He picked up the suggestive tone in there and groaned.

"That's definitely enough questions for today princess. You'll understand when you're older" he kissed the top of her wet head. "Now what do you want to eat?"

"Ummm..." she scrunched up her little face in thought. "Can I have ice cream?"

Jon and Renee both shared a laugh at that. "After you have some proper food" Jon corrected.

"How about we get some pasta?" Renee offered.

"Okay" Ella agreed. "Then ice cream?"

Jon pinched her little cheek. "Then whatever kind of ice cream you want"

 **\- x -**

Jon blew raspberries on Ella's tummy as she giggled uncontrollably. He lifted her out of the bath, wrapping her in a fluffy towel and carried her into her bedroom. Drying her off, Renee handed him her pyjamas and he helped Ella into them.

Renee drew the curtains and peeled back the duvet, patting the spot on the bed. Jon stepped back and watched from the doorway as Renee dried their daughter's hair while she practiced her reading. He had to admit, they had this parenting thing down. He just hoped another baby didn't upset the apple cart too much.

"Goodnight daddy" she called as Renee turned off the lights and tucked her in.

"Goodnight princess" he leaned down to give her a kiss.

"Night mommy"

"Goodnight angel" Renee copied his actions.

They closed the door quietly behind them and crossed the hall to their own room. Jon closed the door and dimmed the lights, closing his eyes for a second. He was more exhausted than he was when he was on the road. He was glad he hadn't waited until his late 30s to have children because he already felt too old to be chasing after Ella. She wore him out. He couldn't believe how fast she was and how much energy she had.

Stripping out of his shirt, he pushed his jeans down and climbed into bed in just his boxer briefs. He watched in awe as Renee slipped her sundress over her head. She was always gorgeous, but he just couldn't believe how beautiful she looked when she was pregnant. Pregnancy suited her, everyone said it. The little protruding bump was made more obvious by her slender frame and he was still surprised a baby with his genetics could fit inside her little body. They already knew baby number two was going to be a big one. Renee had barely had any bump with Ella and she'd been a tiny little baby. This one already looked bigger on the scans and Renee was having a much harder time with her second pregnancy. The morning sickness had been horrendous and Jon had even taken some time off work because she'd been so ill with it. That coupled with the back pains, swelling and exhaustion just made him feel terrible for her.

"My feet are swollen again" she sighed, unsnapping her bra. His eyes fell on her chest which had also doubled in size – a side effect he certainly wouldn't complain about.

"C'mere" he beckoned her over. She slipped into bed next to him and he sat up, pulling her feet into his lap.

"Is that better?" he asked, rubbing and massaging firm circles into the balls of her feet.

"Mmm" she nodded.

"I'm sorry you feel achy sweetheart" he soothed.

"You should be" she teased. "This one's all you" she pointed to her stomach. "Couldn't you have impregnated me with another dainty little thing like Ella instead of this monster?"

Jon laughed, smoothing a hand over her bump. "Don't say that about lil bit"

Renee smiled at his ironic name. "This one's gonna be six foot three and over two hundred pounds just like their dad, I can tell"

He ran his fingertips over her cheek and caressed her neck. He knew she was only teasing, but he really did feel bad for playing a part in causing her such constant pain.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, keeping his hand over the place where his second child was growing.

"It's not your fault gorgeous" she covered his hand with her own. "I was the one who wanted to come off of my birth control" she kissed him. "I should be thanking you for giving me another beautiful baby"

He smiled, returning the kiss.

"There are people who would give everything to have the little family we have, I'm so lucky. That's why it's crazy to complain about feeling a bit under the weather. It'll all be worth it to hold him or her in our arms"

"I'm a little less anxious this time" he smiled, dimples showing.

"Good" she whispered, lacing their fingers together. "I'll need you to keep me calm. I have a feeling 'lil bit' is gonna give me one hell of a difficult labour"

Jon cringed. "I hope not" he brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "I don't like seeing you in that much pain"

"Well I have to see you in pain every Monday night on live television" she laughed.

"That's fair" he chuckled. He relaxed as he felt her running her fingers through his hair. "I know we said we were gonna wait, but I kinda wanna know if it's a girl or a boy..." he admitted as she massaged his scalp.

Renee smiled. "I was actually thinking the same thing...I'd like to know"

He cupped her face, kissing her softly.

"I think this one's a boy" she whispered against his lips, caressing her tummy.

"Me too" he agreed with a smile. "I'd love another girl just as much...but a boy would be great"

"You know..." she whispered, pushing his unruly hair back. "...if it is a boy, we'd be missing an opportunity if we didn't call him Dean"

He smirked at that. "I think we should have Dean in there somewhere, if only just as a middle name"

She nodded, brushing her nose to his.

He ran a hand down her body, cupping her breast and then skimming it lower over the curve of her waist.

"You think El's asleep yet?" Renee asked quietly. They hadn't quite anticipated how much their sex life would suffer when Ella was born. At least when she was younger, they could just set up the baby monitor and keep the noise down. Now they were constantly on edge, scared the four year old would walk in mid-moment. And she had, more than once. It was horrendously awkward trying to explain to her why she should always knock on the door before coming in. They absolutely relished any alone time they had and the lack of opportunities to be intimate only made them hungrier for each other.

"She'll be out like a light...I hope" he mumbled, pressing his lips to hers and taking the lead as their tongues danced.

She moaned against his lips, running her hands over his abs. They made out for a while before Renee became impatient and tugged at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"Shh..." he murmured, rolling onto his back so she could settle herself on top. They'd experimented with a few different positions to keep her comfortable while she was pregnant, but on top was nearly always her favourite. That was true even when she wasn't pregnant if he was honest. A woman in charge was always a secret turn on of his anyway.

She positioned herself in his lap and he took the opportunity to appreciate her body.

"What?" she asked, self-conscious at his staring.

"You're beautiful" he told her, pressing his palms to her growing bump. Her own hands covered his, looking down at the place where their baby was growing.

"It's still amazing, even the second time around huh?" she smiled.

He nodded. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea that my kid is in there..."

She leaned down to kiss him again and they just enjoyed exploring each other's bodies for a while.

Eventually she became impatient and pulled his underwear all the way off. He smirked. Pregnancy made her insatiable and he absolutely loved it. He'd been erect since she'd begun to undress and he was more than ready as she lowered herself onto him. Leaning back with her hands supporting herself on his strong thighs, he held her hips to keep her steady.

She let out a long, contented sigh.

It took a lot of self-control on his part to be patient and keep still as she gently rocked back and forth. The look of bliss on her face was his motivation and he began to roll his hips in time with her movements. The sensations had his eyes rolling back. He'd missed this so much; even just the intimacy of her touch. He made a mental note to make time for more of this.

"Jon..." she gasped, wishing she could get more skin to skin contact with him without her bump getting in the way.

He linked their fingers and she rolled off, getting comfortable on her side. She pulled on his hand and he got the gist of what she wanted, slotting himself in behind her. She reached for him, bringing his lips down onto hers as the entire length of her body lay pressed against his. She craved the feeling of his strong arms around her.

He swallowed her cries as their love making resumed and while the stimulation wasn't as good in this position, the intimacy more than made up for it.

Twenty minutes later, Renee lay curled up on Jon's sweaty chest, satiated and sleepy.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you too" he ran his fingertips up and down her spine.

 **\- x -**

Time was flying and before he knew it, the arrival of their second child was just weeks away. Jon was just arriving home and instead of the usual cry of 'daddy!' followed by thundering footsteps and a huge hug, he was instead greeted with silence.

"Nae, you home?" he called.

Leaving his bags at the door, he walked down the hall and into the kitchen. He found Renee at the table, her head in her hands.

"Nae?"

She looked up at him, her face marked with tear tracks.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a million horrible things flitting through his mind.

"El..." her breath hitched.

"What about her?" he asked, panicking.

"She..." she sobbed. "...she won't eat any of her dinner"

Jon stood rooted to the spot for a moment before gathering himself and crouching down beside his wife. He knew the pregnancy was taking its toll on her and she was incredibly emotional at the moment. He also knew Ella was going through a phase of fussy eating that was really getting to his wife.

"What are you crying for?" he asked, kissing her on the forehead and rubbing her upper back soothingly.

"She hasn't eaten any proper food in days..."

Jon sighed. Though it was a relatively recent issue, he'd seen the beginnings of the behaviour last time he was home. Ella tended to behave herself more when he was around because she knew he wouldn't tolerate her acting out, but he could see she was refusing meals and throwing tantrums when she didn't want whatever was put in front of her.

"What happened?"

"It's been the same every day. I cooked her favourite last night, barbecue chicken and vegetables and she didn't even touch it. She wouldn't even put a forkful in her mouth" Renee sniffed despairingly.

"Don't stress yourself out Nae" he stroked a hand over her head. "You're doing your best"

"It's so hard..." she broke down again and his heart shattered into tiny pieces.

He took her hand and led her into the main room. Sitting down on the couch, he pulled her into his lap. She protested like she always did, complaining that she was too heavy but he wouldn't hear it. She was still tiny and he'd barely noticed the pregnancy weight she'd gained, though she claimed she felt like a blimp.

"I'm sorry I'm not around enough" he mumbled, lips against her hair as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Jon..." she tried to protest.

"No, I know it's not fair on you" he whispered. "You probably feel like a single mother half the time and I'm sorry, I wish I could help you more. Ella's getting to the age where she's going to start throwing problems at us and me being on the road all the time isn't helping"

She kissed him, caressing his face.

"Please don't feel guilty, I love you Jon...I don't resent you for doing the job you love"

"I know you don't" he returned the kiss. "I just don't like leaving you to deal with everything"

"I'm okay" she wiped her eyes. "I just worry about her..."

"I know you do. But any time, day or night, you know you can call me right? If you need me, call. I'll speak to her"

She nodded, burying her face in his neck.

"How's lil bit?" he asked, putting a hand on her now-sizeable bump.

"Kicking up a storm" she said, finally smiling. "Doing somersaults and making me pee every five minutes"

"Not long now huh?" he looked up at her.

She shook her head. "A couple weeks...assuming he doesn't make an early appearance..."

"He better not" Jon groaned. They'd found out the sex of the baby a month or so ago and were thrilled to find out it was a boy. Ella was excited at the prospect of a baby brother and Renee couldn't wait to meet her little boy.

"Do you have time booked off work?" she asked.

"Yeah, I have two weeks around your due date so he better stay put until then..."

"Keep your phone with you..." she warned. "When you're backstage, make sure it's in your pocket. And when you're in the ring, leave it with Joe or Colby so if anything happens I can get a message to you quickly"

"I wouldn't miss the birth of my baby boy for the world, don't worry" he assured her. "I'll keep my phone on me at all times" he promised.

"Good" she smiled.

"I'm gonna go talk to El, go get in bed and I'll be there in ten" he kissed her.

He helped her up and followed her up the stairs, letting her go into their bedroom before approaching the door of Ella's room. He knocked on the door and opened it, finding her face down on the bed.

"El?" he asked.

"Daddy..." she cried, holding out her arms. He crossed the short distance to her bed and wrapped his little girl up in his arms. "...I missed you when you were away" she said as he felt tears on his neck.

"I missed you too" he whispered, cradling her in his arms.

"Mommy shouted at me" she sobbed, clinging to his shirt.

He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.

"And why did she shout at you?" he asked softly.

"Because I didn't like my dinner and I didn't want it!" she raised her voice.

"Inside voice..." he warned.

"She tried to make me eat it" Ella cried.

"And why didn't you want to eat your dinner?" he asked calmly.

She didn't answer, just whined.

"Why Ella?" he pressed.

She still didn't reply. He could sense another tantrum coming.

"I don't know" she moaned.

"You know daddy always asks mommy if you're being a good girl while he's away don't you?"

Ella nodded.

"You're not being a good girl when you don't eat your dinner are you?"

"I don't like it daddy!" she protested, folding her little arms in a huff.

"You know there are lots of little girls and boys in the world who don't have any food to eat at all. You're lucky you can have food whenever you want because daddy didn't always have food whenever he was hungry when he was little. Your mommy makes you nice dinners and it makes her sad when you don't eat them..."

She didn't respond.

"Me and mommy work very hard to give you all the things you want. You have to eat your dinner okay?" he added firmly.

"I don't wanna!" she shouted.

"Okay" he stood, leaving her on the bed. "That's fine. but while you're being a bad girl there's no going to the park and no TV" he sanctioned.

She started screaming and crying again so he left the room and closed the door behind him. He didn't like being hard on her but he'd be damned if she grew up with no discipline. If he ever spoke out of line when he was a child he'd get a slap. He couldn't be that hard on her, but he knew he had to be cruel to be kind. He might call her princess but he certainly didn't want her to have a 'princess' attitude.

 **\- x -**

"I hate seeing her act like this" Renee lamented as Jon slipped into bed beside her.

"I know. But it's just a phase and she'll come through it. You just have to be firm with her"

"It's just so tempting to give her candy just to get something in her stomach you know? I worry so much about her; she's tiny as it is..."

Jon kissed the top of Renee's head. "She'll come through it. She's a smart girl. She's stubborn but she'll come around"

Sure enough, as they began to drift off into a light doze, the door creaked open. Jon cracked an eye open and saw Ella tip-toeing in toting her bunny plushie. Climbing up onto the bed, she wiggled her way in between them and curled up on his chest.

"Mm sorry daddy" she mumbled, sucking her thumb. Renee rolled over to cuddle Ella, kissing her head. "Sorry mommy, love you" she whispered.

"I love you too baby" Renee smoothed a hand over her head.

"Can I sleep here?" she asked, giving her mom the puppy dog eyes.

Jon wanted to say no, but the look Renee gave him was too much.

"Alright, just for tonight" he gave in.

"Love you daddy" she told him.

"I love you too princess"

 **\- x -**

It was just two weeks later that it finally happened and Jon was in no way ready.

Renee was upstairs, running herself a bath. Jon had just gotten back from dropping Ella off at a friend's place and as he closed the front door, he heard a shout.

"Jon!"

The tone of it told him something was up and he ran up the stairs. As he reached the bathroom, he found her hunched over.

"Nae, what's wrong?" he asked in a panic.

It was then he realised the floor beneath her was wet.

"Oh fuck"

"Get the bag" she told him, referring to the bag she had packed ready for the hospital. She'd had a feeling lil bit wasn't going to hang around for his due date. He already felt twice the size of Ella when she was born.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck" he chanted as he rushed around, locating the bag and racing down the stairs with it. Once it was safely stowed in the car, he ran back upstairs, finding Renee mid-contraction. She reached for his hand and he took it, wincing as she squeezed it hard.

"Grab some towels for the seats..." she breathed as the pain retreated.

He took some off the rail, slinging them around his neck before putting an arm around her so he could support most of her weight.

"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked.

She shook her head, breathing deeply. "Just go slow..."

Slow was hard when he was in such a panic, but he tried his best, helping her down the stairs and arranging the towels haphazardly on the passenger seat before lifting her in.

Driving in a panic like this was no easier this time than it had been the last. Weaving in and out of traffic, trying not to break the law, he made it to the hospital in record time.

Racing in to reception, the staff brought a wheelchair to the car and they were soon settling Renee in the room where their second child would be born.

Jon had called Ella's friend's mom, who was more than happy to have Ella sleep over. He also called Renee's parents, letting them know so they could make plans to travel to the hospital. Now they played the waiting game.

"I'm glad this happened now..." she whispered, leaning on a birthing ball. "I don't know what I'd have done if you were across the other side of the country..."

Jon cringed at the thought. If he was away wrestling some house show, knowing Renee was here without him, it didn't bear thinking about. He rubbed the small of her back as she moaned her way through another contraction.

"I'm here" he assured her, brushing her hair back.

They sat in silence for a little while, Jon kneeling on the floor beside her.

"I'm scared..." she admitted.

"Me too" he told her quietly. "But you were so amazing when you had El...I know you'll be great again this time"

"He's much bigger than El..." she whispered, looking up at him for reassurance.

He stroked her back, struggling to come up with any words to make it better.

"What if my vagina never shrinks back?"

That broke the tension and they both descended into hysterical laughter.

"I love you" he kissed her forehead.

"I love you too"

 **\- x -**

The birth was every bit as awful as he'd feared. There was more screaming this time, and Renee was far less composed than before. He tried to be strong for her, reassuring her where he could and praising how incredibly well she was doing, but it was hard when he was so worried about her.

"Nearly there...I'm so proud of you" he brushed her hair back, keeping his hand firmly held in hers.

From what Jon could decipher, the baby wasn't descending at the expected rate and the midwives had moved Renee onto her knees, hoping to use gravity to their advantage. Jon sat on the bed with his back to the pillows, allowing Renee to lean against him, her hands on his shoulders. Face to face, it was much more intense. Seeing the pain on her beautiful features made his eyes water for her.

She pressed her face into his neck and he closed his eyes, stroking her hair.

"I don't think I can do this" she cried out as another contraction hit.

"Yes you can" he kissed her temple. "I promise you can" he soothed. "If you could tag me in right now, I'd gladly take over. But I can't. All I can do is tell you that you're incredible and I know you can do it. I'm right here. It'll all be over soon and you'll be holding lil bit in your arms"

"Just a few big pushes for me okay Renee?" the nurse asked.

Jon looked into her eyes and nodded. "Just a few more..."

He took deep breaths as she screamed, trying to hold it together. Unlike last time, she needed him to be the cool, calm and collected one.

"One more...I can see baby's head"

"Come on Nae" he whispered. "Last one"

With a final cry, he felt her go limp in his arms. She burst into tears of exhaustion and Jon felt a few tears of relief slip down his face as the baby let out a burst of loud cries. He helped manoeuvre Renee onto her back as the nurse placed the baby straight onto her chest. She sobbed even harder as she looked at her little boy. He stopped crying almost as soon as he saw Renee, just looking around curiously.

Jon cut the cord before moving to Renee's side and peering down at the baby. He laughed out loud, wiping his eyes.

"He looks like me"

A shock of fluffy dirty-blonde hair and big blue eyes looked up at him.

"I thought El looked like you when she was born but he...he's a spitting image of you" Renee sniffed.

"I love you" Jon whispered, leaning down to kiss her sweaty forehead.

"I love you too" she smiled.

"God...he's enormous huh?"

"Nine pounds and fifteen ounces" the nurse told them. "He's a whopper"

"That's why we call him lil bit" Renee smiled as Jon stroked the little boy's head.

"Shall I put that on his birth certificate?" the nurse joked.

"His real name is Charlie Dean Good" Renee told her, beaming up at Jon.

"Cheeky Charlie...suits him" the nurse gave them a smile.

The nurse left to fill out his paperwork and gave the little family some time to themselves.

Charlie started fussing and Renee looked to Jon. "Can you take him?"

"Of course" Jon nodded, carefully scooping the newborn baby off Renee's chest. "Wow, he's heavy..."

"You're telling me" Renee sighed exhaustedly.

Jon stared down at the baby who was looking up at him with interest. "Hi lil bit" he whispered. "You gave your mom one hell of a task just now"

"No more babies...I can't risk the next one being even bigger" Renee stressed.

"You were amazing, I'm so proud of you" he told her, leaning down to kiss her again. "Go to sleep...your mom and dad and everyone just got here so I'm gonna take lil bit to meet them. I'll bring them back here, we won't be long"

"Okay" Renee muttered tiredly.

 **\- x -**

Renee's mom immediately embraced Jon when she saw him, tears in her eyes. "Where's my grandson?" she cooed, taking the baby from Jon's arms. "Wow, he's a big one. A big strong boy like his daddy" she spoke adoringly. "He's beautiful Jon..."

"Thank you" Jon smiled proudly.

"Congratulations son" Renee's dad shook his hand, taking him in a half hug.

"Renee's really tired but I'm sure she's desperate to see you so come through..." Jon told them, taking baby Charlie back from his grandma.

"Did you stick with naming him Charlie Dean?" she asked.

Jon nodded. "But we've been calling him lil bit for the past five months or so, that nickname had kinda stuck" he laughed.

"He's adorable, I bet little Ella is going to love him"

"I hope so" Jon smiled.

"How was her labour?" she asked.

"Awful" Jon sighed. "Longer and infinitely more painful than with Ella from what I could tell"

"My poor baby girl" Renee's mom said sadly.

"She said no more babies after him, I don't blame her"

"Oh she'll change her mind" she laughed. "Don't believe that for a second"

Jon balked.

"Renee has always been a big family kind of girl. She'd have more if it's something you want too"

 **\- x -**

Jon picked Ella up from her friend's house the next morning and Renee had just finished feeding the baby when they arrived.

Ella was clingy, wanting to be carried as they walked into the hospital.

"You okay princess?" Jon asked, sensing something off.

She nodded. "Why wasn't I allowed to be at the hospital with mommy?" she asked quietly. "Alex told me her mommy said I wasn't allowed to go..."

"Because having a baby is really hard angel" he kissed her head. "It's not very nice for mommy and she doesn't want you to see her upset and hurting"

"Is mommy okay?" Ella asked, looking more and more upset.

"She's fine baby I promise" he told her. "She's absolutely fine now"

Ella clung tightly to Jon as he carried her into the room. Ella took one look at the baby in Renee's arms and buried her face in Jon's neck.

"Ella? Don't you want to meet your little brother?" Renee asked.

Ella shook her head.

"Why not?" Jon asked.

Jon felt tears on his neck.

"Because _I_ want to be your baby" she sobbed.

Jon and Renee shared a sad look.

"You're still our baby" Renee told her.

"You'll always be our baby" Jon kissed her head, hugging her. He hadn't expected her to feel pushed out like this, not already. He thought maybe she'd object to having another member of the family taking the attention away from her at first, but the effect had been immediate.

"Mommy and daddy still love you just the same" Jon forced her to look at him with a finger under her chin. "Just now you've got a little brother to play with"

"I think you'll like him El, he's really cute" Renee smiled, coaxing her over.

Jon slowly approached the bed, making sure to keep Ella in his arms, so she had that comforting contact.

Ella peered down at the baby who was looking back up at her curiously.

"Look El, he likes you" Renee smiled, watching him kick his legs. "He knows you're his big sister"

"Did I look like him when I was born?" she asked, reaching out gingerly to touch his soft skin.

"A little" Jon told her. "You were only a tiny thing though"

Ella touched Charlie's palm, and he instinctively wrapped his fingers around hers. She smiled.

"Look daddy he's holding my finger!"

Renee and Jon shared a glance.

"He loves you already princess" Jon kissed her cheek.

"Can I hold him?" she asked.

Jon helped get her situated in the chair next to Renee's bed and helped her make a cradle with her arms. Gently taking the baby from Renee, he set him down on Ella's lap. Renee reached out and took Jon's hand as they saw their little girl holding the newborn baby for the first time. It was a beautiful moment.

Jon took Charlie back to give Ella a chance to cuddle with her mom for a bit. It was a delicate time for them and they knew now they had to make sure Ella got plenty of attention and love when she was feeling so vulnerable.

Seeing his little girl curled up in Renee's arms and holding his baby boy in his own arms, he thanked the gods that his life turned out this perfect.

 **\- x -**

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